Definition of Kashin-Beck disease

Kashin-Beck disease: A disorder of the bones and joints of the hands and fingers, elbows, knees, and ankles of children and adolescents who slowly develop stiff deformed joints, shortened limb length and short stature due to necrosis (death) of the growth plates of bones and of joint cartilage. The disorder is endemic in some areas of eastern Siberia, Korea, China and Tibet and is probably of environmental origin, as evidenced by the fact that it occurs in children who move into the endemic areas and children with it who move away get better. Selenium supplementation has no effect on established Kashin-Beck disease. Iodine deficiency should be corrected. It is clearly a factor in the disease. Also called Kashin-Bek disease. The people in the areas subject to the disorder called it big bone disease.